Impact of war

[Episode 10 | 1918 : Bertie]

Evelyn, Bertie's sister, receives news of the death of Freddie Miller. Bertie laments the death of his father and Freddie; both killed in the war. He tells Sid, an Aboriginal soldier, about his plan to buy his brother Eddie a present on his return from the war and they devise a plan to raise the money to purchase the gift.

History activities [2]

Activity 1: Indigenous soldiers

Subtheme(s):
Australians at war; Indigenous perspectives

We will never know the exact number of Indigenous men who served in the First World War as many did not list their background due to fear of discrimination. The government did not at first permit Indigenous Australians to enlist, although restrictions were later eased. Regardless of this prejudice, more than 400 Indigenous people did decide to enlist and fought for their country alongside fellow Australian soldiers. However, they did not receive the same benefits as non-Indigenous soldiers upon their return home.

Discuss the contribution of Indigenous servicemen and servicewomen as outlined in the film.

Reflect

Once students have learned more about the conditions awaiting returned soldiers, ask them to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, protesting about the inequality of the treatment of Indigenous soldiers, such as Sid, and non-Indigenous soldiers after they returned from the First World War.

Download

Activity 2: Prejudice

Indigenous Australians have served in all conflicts undertaken by the Australian Defence Forces, even when denied rights such as the right to vote in many states and territories, or access to the returned servicemen's pension.

Discover

Ask students: what would it feel like to be discriminated against? Discuss this concept and ask students to draw on any personal experiences they may have of being discriminated against. Use a Y-Chart to express their view on the following focus questions:

What does discrimination look like?

What does discrimination feel like?

What does discrimination sound like?

Reflect

Students watch the clip 'Impact of war' again, this time focusing on the body language and voices of Bertie, Sid and Mr Watson. Using the Student Activity Sheet provided, they should respond to the questions on what discrimination looks like and sounds like, using examples observed in the clip. All responses can be shared with the class.